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Allegheny County Councilman Will Introduce Bill To Get More Body Cameras To Police Officers

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Body cameras and police are in the national spotlight and in the Pittsburgh area.

KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso talked to a Republican Allegheny County councilman about his effort to get more body cameras to police officers.

Councilman Sam DeMarco will introduce a bill Tuesday that would do two things.

First, it would mandate that the county police issue body cameras to all uniformed patrol officers by the end of the year.

Second, DeMarco wants to start working groups — including members of county council, the county executive's office, the district attorney's office and the county's chiefs of police association — to look at technology and come up with funding sources to help police departments in the county gets body cameras.

There are more than 100 police departments in the county, but only a small number of departments have body cameras.

The Monroeville police chief told KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso that body cameras cost between $500-$1,000. He says the real cost is video storage.

DeMarco said the intent is to provide accountability and transparency while rebuilding trust.

"I think that 99 percent of our police officers out there behave in a professional manner and do their jobs to their best of their ability every day," said DeMarco. "But we also recognize right now in the community, the credibility of policing in our community is a little bit frayed right now."

DeMarco will introduce the bill on Tuesday. The council president will refer it to a committee.

A vote could come in April.

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